Ronald Weasley Reloaded
by Harry Ashhworth Black
Summary: It is 5th year and Ron Weasley is inebriated and feeling very upset due to not being able to perform well as a keeper. What if at that moment, he unexpectedly meets a woman who inspires him to be the best version of himself, who motivates him and helps him improve as a keeper, and who makes him happy? AU. OOC Ron/ Slytherin OFC. Eventually Dark, Powerful, Intelligent Ron.
1. Is she really a Slytherin!

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and I don't intend to earn any profit out of this story.**

**Author's Note: This happens in 5****th**** year and is from Ron's point of view.**

**Warnings: 1) Ron centric fiction, and, Pairing of Ron and Slytherin OFC**

**2) AU story. **

**3) Ginny Weasley bashing**

**4) Eventually Dark, Intelligent, Powerful, OOC Ron**

**5) Intelligent, Supportive OFC**

Ronald Weasley was sitting inebriated beside the Lake on the Hogwarts grounds contemplating on the loss that his Gryffindor Quidditch team faced yesterday to the Hufflepuffs, all thanks to his abysmal keeper skills. The "Weasley is our King" chant by the Slytherins kept running inside his head. He was feeling utterly miserable and dejected. He couldn't bear to see his friends Harry & Hermione, and his twin brothers and Ginny look at him with Sympathy. Thinking about the ridicule that he had been facing this year, he took a large swig of butterbeer

"Please don't drink any more Weasley" came a soft voice from behind.

Ron looked behind him to see an unfamiliar girl in Slytherin uniform, who was looking at him with sadness. She had jet black hair, deep blue eyes and a very beautiful aristocratic face. But none of that mattered to Ron now.

"What do you want Slimy Snake?" said Ron harshly.

The girl didn't seem to be offended. She took three steps towards Ron and extended her hand.

"See Mr Roaring Lion, you can touch my hand. You will see that I am not slimy" she said smiling. "Anyway, I am not here to mock or insult you Weasley. I have been observing you for quite some time. You are not doing any justice to yourself by drowning yourself in butterbeer. Too much of it is not good for your health" said the girl as a matter of fact.

"Why the hell would you care? All of you Slytherins are just rotten to the core. You enjoy making fun of others, look down upon muggleborns or even anyone who is not a pureblood. All of you are just disgusting people who are waiting to be deatheaters. And, I am sick of your disgusting 'Weasley is our King' badges and singing" ranted Ron fiercely.

The girl just stood silent while Ron was ranting.

As soon as she finished, she replied "Weasley, do you see me wearing that stupid badge?" asked the girl looking at him intently.

"No" said Ron uncertainly.

"I just hate those badges Weasley. Nobody deserves to be mocked in such a cruel fashion. I just hate the bigotry that many of my housemates spew from their dirty mouths. I have no problem against muggleborns or the so-called blood traitors. I have no problem against even those who have creature blood in them. Everyone has their own importance. And, I will never ever join that idiotic dark tosser who calls himself as 'Voldemort'" declared the girl boldly.

Ron was dumbfounded at her words and flinched on hearing Voldemort's name.

"Oh ho, Mr Roaring Lion Weasley, why is the Lion so afraid of hearing the Dork Tosser's name. I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave" said the girl smirking at him.

Ron grew irritated and was about to respond angrily when she sang, "Voldie Voldie Voldemort! Voldemort Voldemort Voldie" making him flinch thrice.

She laughed without reservation making Ron gape at her. Ron would never dare admit it, but her smile was so beautiful and infectious.

"Who are you?" asked Ron feeling quite confused

"Zarina Shafiq, 6 th year Extraordinary half-blood Slytherin at your service" said Zarina giving an exaggerated bow, which made Ron's lips twitch.

"But I thought Slytherins were supposed to be evil, nasty, bigoted and hate us Gryffindors but you're…. Anyway, why are you even talking to me?" asked Ron

"Weasley, I don't care for this stupid house rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Every Hogwarts house has had wonderful magic practitioners over the centuries. I admit that Slytherin house has got many bigots, bullies and blood purists, but not everyone is like that. And, there are bullies in other houses too, even in Gryffindor. Don't feel bad Weasley, but your elder Twin brothers badly bully the 1st year Slytherin girls and so many others in the name of pranking. I found one of the girls crying in girl's toilet. When I asked her why she was crying, she told me that your twin brothers had ripped off her skirt in the middle of the entrance hall and made her bald for a few minutes. I had to soothe her down and comfort her for a few minutes before she became all right" said Zarina emotionally.

Ron was about to deny that his brothers could never do anything of such sort, but he was not certain. After all, he knew his twin brothers quite well and had some idea of till what extent they would go to commit mischief. So, he kept silent.

"And Weasley, I am talking to you now because frankly, I am worried about you. All those people wearing those stupid badges have succeeded in the fact that they have sapped out your will power and energy. They have succeeded in doing so because you have allowed their cruel words to seep into your mind and demotivate you" said Zarina kindly.

"But, I am a hopeless keeper Shafiq. In Yesterday's match, I couldn't even block a single goal. It will be better if I resign from the team" said Ron dejectedly.

"Ron, if you resign from the team, Gryffindor's chances of winning the Quidditch cup will become even more lesser. You are an amazing and wonderful keeper Ron. Quidditch is there in your blood. I have noticed in your matches that once you let a Quaffle in, you lose all the motivation and become dejected, and because of that, let in further Quaffles when you could have easily blocked them" said Zarina.

"You think I am an amazing keeper Shafiq?" asked Ron disbelievingly.

"I know that you are an excellent keeper Ron. If you perform to the best of your ability, there is nothing that can stop you from winning. Your weakness is that you are allowing your emotions to dictate yourself. My suggestion is that you do meditation early in the morning everyday. Meditation is the most basic form of the mind arts. I am willing to help you out if you wish" said Zarina.

Ron's first instinct was to decline this offer of help from a Slytherin. But sheer curiosity overrode his instincts. Who was this Slytherin girl who was completely different from the other Slytherins that he knew? Who was this girl who dared to insult You Know Who?

Finally, he replied, "Yes, your help would be welcome" said Ron neutrally.

"Great. So, please meet me tomorrow 5:30 AM at the 7th floor near the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy" said Zarina smiling.

"Wait, you know about the Room of Requirement?" asked Ron wide-eyed.

"Yes, I found it in my first year. I am surprised that you know about it. Very few people know. Anyway, see you tomorrow Ron. Take care" said Zarina beaming at him before starting to walk away.

"Hey Wait, but why are you really helping me? Will it not be bad for your house if I perform better as a keeper?" asked Ron confused.

Zarina turned back and replied "I don't care about which house wins Ron. Moreever, it would be priceless to see the expression of the people wearing those stupid badges when you indeed show them how mighty King a Weasley can be" said Zarina before walking away.

As soon as Zarina walked away, Ron's expression cleared and he felt much happier and confident than before. He vanished his butterbeer bottle and walked confidently towards the Gryffindor tower in high spirits.

As soon as he reached the Gryffindor tower, he was accosted by Harry, Hermione, the twins and Ginny, all of whom seemed to be worried about him.

"Where were you Ron? I hoped you weren't drinking again " said Hermione.

"Nah Mione, I was just having a great and wonderful time near the lake, looking at a beautiful sight. After all, the sunset is so beautiful nowadays. And, I won't drink ever again" said Ron quite cheerfully.

The others were perplexed on seeing this sudden shift in Ron's demeanour.

"What happened to you Ronniekins? Till today afternoon, you were wallowing in depression and now you are quite happy all of a sudden. Has somebody hit you with a cheering charm?" asked George.

Ron just laughed and replied "Not just a cheering charm George, but I just got a bucket of motivation from the least expected source. I will kick the arses of the opponent team in the next Quidditch match. No more depression or wallowing in self pity. See you later guys. I wish to sleep early today" said Ron happily before bouncing off to his dorms, leaving the others dumbfounded or stunned in his wake.

"What is wrong with him? Ron seems too cheerful for someone who has been badly ridiculed for letting in 14 Quaffles. And, he didn't even have Dinner with us today, when he usually gorges everything in his mouth" said Ginny.

"Well, I don't really mind. I am just happy that he is free from Depression. I was honestly quite worried about him when he was drinking butterbeer till midnight yesterday" said Harry

"That is all fine Harry, but this sudden shift in his attitude seems a bit suspicious" said Hermione.

"Whatever it is, let's hope it is for the good. We can't have ickle Ronniekins wallowing in self pity again. Can we?" asked Fred, to which the others nodded before going back to their dorms

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For the next few weeks , everyone in Gryffindor noted a sudden shift in Ron Weasley's demeanour. He would wake up quite early in the morning, go to who knows where and come back after an hour or so in high spirits while the others were beginning to just wake up. When Hermione nagged him about this, Ron had something to say.

"Hermione, where I go early in the morning is a private matter, something that I am unwilling to share with you at the moment" said Ron firmly.

"But Ron, we are your friends and we have been quite worried about you as of late. You seem to be behaving too maturely, which is quite unlike you. You don't argue with me anymore. You are more slower in chewing your food. And yesterday, I was shocked to see you reading on your own, without me forcing you to do so. What is happening with you Ron?" asked Hermione suspiciously.

"Hermione, I know that you and Harry are among my best friends. But I have my own reasons for not sharing this with you just as you didn't tell me and Harry in our 3rd year that you were having a time turner with you. Please respect my privacy Hermione" said Ron firmly.

"But that is different…" started Hermione but Harry interrupted her.

"Let him tell us when he feels comfortable Hermione. And Ron, we won't just force you to tell us anything that you don't wish to tell. But anytime, if you feel any problem, please don't hesitate to approach us. Anyway, I am happy that you are now completely focused and dedicated in your Quidditch practices. Angelina was practically bouncing with joy when she was telling me how much sudden improvement that you have shown over the last few days. Even Fred and George not getting any good reasons to complain about your performance" said Harry grinning at him.

"Well, I have got nothing to lose. Have I? So, I have no reason not to perform to the best of my abilities. I will show Malfoy and his cronies that a Weasley can really become a King if he is pushed too far" said Ron before walking towards his dorms

**Author's Note: The first meeting between Ron and Zarina in the room of requirement will be shown in the next chapter.**


	2. A light kiss can be very motivational

**Author's Note: This is the second chapter. **

**At the Room of Requirement (5:30 AM in the morning)**

After completing all his morning formalities, Ron reached the Room of Requirement just in time. When he opened the door, he saw a beautiful view of Sunrise on a long beach, with soothing breeze and calm waves. Standing ahead was Zarina who was wearing a simple white Gown that fit her quite nicely. She looked quite pretty.

"Good morning Ron" said Zarina brightly

"Good morning Zarina" said Ron a bit hesitantly, as he stood there admiring the scenery.

Zarina didn't seem to mind his hesitation and soon launched into lecture mode.

"Now Ron, I chose this morning time just before Sunrise because it is the best time for meditation. Now please follow as I say. Sit in this padmasan posture" said Zarina and then demonstrated the posture to Ron.

'This is mental' thought Ron, but he followed her words and was now sitting cross legged on the cushioned mat which felt quite comfortable. As Zarina instructed, he pressed the index finger and thumb of both his hands together to form something which Zarina called a "Chin mudra", which supposedly gave one a lot of focus while meditating.

"Good. Now please close your eyes and fill your mind with any vision which gives you a sense of peace or tranquility. The vision shouldn't have a lot of passion or activity. It can be any memory that you like or even anything of your imagination" said Zarina.

Ron thought of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, about how much warmth and comfort he felt sitting on the armchair there close to the fire chewing his favourite dish. Slowly, unknown to him, a smile broke out on his face. Zarina noticed this and smiled before giving him her next instructions.

"Now, savour every moment of that vision, and take a deep breath, hold the breath for a few moments and then let it out slowly" instructed Zarina.

Ron did as she said.

"Good, now continue this for the next 5 minutes" said Zarina.

Ron did this for the next 5 minutes and finally when he opened his eyes, he felt quite calm, relaxed and peaceful.

"How are you feeling Ron?" asked Zarina quietly.

"It feels just fantastic. Thanks a lot Zarina" said Ron enthusiastically

Zarina just beamed at him in response.

"That's great. This meditation technique is a big stress reliever, rids a person of all the negative emotions like Anger, Jealousy, Envy, Greed and things like that. It makes one focused and determined, and brings inner positivity within all of us. I have been doing this since my childhood. Ever since I came to Hogwarts and step foot in the Slytherin dorms, meditation has become even more essential for me. It takes a great deal of courage, positive attitude and determination to survive in the viper's pit with your virginity intact" said Zarina as a matter of fact.

Ron who was listening to Zarina suddenly felt guilty of accusing her when she first introduced herself yesterday.

"Hey Zarina, I am really sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have said all those things to you. Now I realize that you are a nice person. Can we become friends?" asked Ron a bit timidly.

Zarina just waved off his apologies with a smile.

"No apologies needed Ron. Friends then" said Zarina beaming and to Ron's immense surprise, gave him a hug. It sent pleasant shivers throughout his body

"And Ron, do practice this meditation at every free moment when you can. It has the potential to eventually boost your magical reserves too. I have experienced its positive effects myself. That is why, I could cast spells non-verbally and wandlessly since my 3rd year" explained Zarina.

"Sure I will. And Zarina, do you play Quidditch? And do you support any teams?" asked Ron.

"Yeah surely Ron. I like playing seeker. And I support Chudley Cannons" said Zarina.

"Wow, that is my favourite team too. I wonder whether this room can turn itself into a Quidditch pitch. I really feel like playing now" said Ron.

"Sure it can" said Zarina smiling and within moments, the room had been transformed into a gigantic Quidditch pitch with a Quaffle, snitch, beater's bats, brooms and hoops.

"Wow. This is bloody brilliant" said Ron Weasley amazed. "We could use this room for Quidditch practices when the pitch is not available" said Ron.

"Yeah. Anyway, why don't you practice keeping now? I will try to throw the Quaffle through the hoops and you try blocking them, okay?" asked Zarina.

"Sure. That's fine" said Ron.

For the next half an hour, Zarina tried to shoot the Quaffle through the hoops and Ron tried to block them. Zarina was an excellent chaser and Ron was finding difficulty in blocking her shots. Just as it seemed that Ron was about to lose confidence and get grouchy, she said.

"Ron, please don't lose your confidence. Try to learn from your mistakes. Even the most renowned keepers of today have initially faced the same problem as you are facing now. See where you went wrong and do a better job in blocking the next shot" said Zarina in an encouraging tone.

"But Zarina, out of the 30 shots that you have put, I have blocked only 5. I don't think I am suited for Quidditch. It will be better if I quit" said Ron morosely.

Zarina hovered near Ron on her broom steadily. What she did next shocked him to the core. She kissed his cheek.

"Ron Weasley, never say that you are not good enough. If you quit now, you will only give immense satisfaction to those who are frequently harassing you. Yes, you blocked only 5 shots but it is still better than zero. Observe which direction I am coming from, notice my body language and leg & hand movements and then deduce yourself in which hoop I am likely to put the Quaffle. And Ron, before you Quit, please think of your friends and brothers. You best friend Harry wants you to succeed. The twins may be bullies but they immensely care for you. Hermione Granger may not be interested in Quidditch very much, but she doesn't want you to fail. Please do it for them at least. Besides, don't you want to see the look on the faces of those bullies when you manage to save each and every goal" said Zarina softly.

Ron touched that spot on his cheek where she kissed him and slowly a grim determination came on his face.

"Give your best shot Shafiq" he roared.

"That's the spirit Weasley" shouted Zarina before throwing the Quaffle at him.

This time Ron noticed her movements carefully and finally blocked the Quaffle successfully before it went through the middle hoop. Zarina gave him a thumbs up in response, and Ron grinned in triumph.

Zarina threw the Quaffle at him 15 more times, and Ron succeeded in blocking her shot 12 times. Finally, they decided to stop it and lowered themselves to the ground.

"That was a tremendous improvement Ron" said Zarina grinning. "You are definitely going to wipe the asses of the Ravenclaws in your next match" said Zarina.

Ron just grinned in response and to her surprise, gave her a light hug. She didn't dare admit it, but it felt great when he hugged her.

"So, I heard that you play chess quite well? Well in fact 4 years back, Dumbledore even gave you last minute points for a well played game of chess, though I don't know what was that about" she told Ron conversationally.

"Oh that. The thing is…" started Ron and then he went on to explain everything about the events of their first year at Hogwarts; about the troll, 3 headed dog, Quirell and the sorcerer's stone. She gasped at so many instances in the story and finally when he was finished, she looked at him intently with a grudging respect.

"Ron, I admit that You, Harry and Hermione were very brave and noble. And it's thanks to the three of you that Voldemort's efforts were thwarted. But there are a few things that really don't add up here" said Zarina.

"Like what?" asked Ron in confusion.

"Like why did Dumbledore place a dangerous dark wizard magnet like Sorcerer's stone in a school full of children? Why didn't he ward the third floor corridor so that nobody could get through Fluffy? Why did he allow you people to serve a detention in the Forbidden Forest and that too at night time? It is after all full of dangerous magical creatures some of which definitely kill humans at sight. And why did Dumbledore put a dangerous seducing object like the 'mirror of erised' in the third floor corridor? And moreover, usually McGonagall accompanies the muggleborns to Diagon Alley and explains everything in detail to them about the magical world. But your friend was accompanied by a Gamekeeper who hasn't completed his education and practically worships Dumbledore. Ron, I know that Hagrid is a kind man with a good heart but he isn't qualified enough to explain about magical world to newcomers" explained Zarina.

Ron thought about it for a moment before replying.

"What you said makes sense Zarina. But he is Dumbledore. While I admit that the man may be slightly cracked, he is extremely brilliant and he is the only one whom Voldemort fears. He might have had his own reasons for doing things this way" said Ron.

"Ron, Dumbledore may be a brilliant wizard but he is a human being like us who is prone to making mistakes. He is not some omnipotent God. After all, our head of house Snape treats you Gryffindors very badly but does Dumbledore do anything to stop it. So much bullying goes on in this school in the name of blood bigotry. Has Dumbleore done anything to stop it? Do you know that Snape was just about to be convicted as a deatheater, but Dumbledore rescued him at the last moment by telling the wizengamot that he was a spy for the light side. Do you still like Dumbledore very much?" asked Zarina.

Ron mulled over what Zarina said and found her words to be reasonable. He too didn't understand why Dumbledore always vouched for Snape.

"Ron, what I intend to say is that please don't trust Dumbledore blindly. My family is very much against Voldemort but they are hesitant to join Dumbledore because he keeps too much secrets. Sure he is against Voldemort, but he is not the only one who is against Voldemort" said Zarina.

Ron nodded at her words, but then, a thought struck him suddenly.

"Hey, I thought that all Slytherins liked Snape. After all, he favours your house and all. But it seems like you don't have a good opinion about him" said Ron smirking.

"Ron, I don't like Snape at all. Even if Dumbledore is correct and he indeed is a reformed spy, still he is a terrible teacher who shouldn't be near children. Whenever any person from our house commits a mistake, he doesn't bother to correct them and allows them to get away with anything. Malfoy is a clear example of this. Is that what a good teacher does? He awards points to our house even for a simple task as cutting the roots properly while he deducts hundreds of points from other houses for even breathing loudly. If teachers don't correct their wayward students, how will the students learn?

I am honestly ashamed of the fact that I get housepoints from him, which we don't deserve and any honourable person in our house should feel so. He is one of the reasons why our house has such a bad reputation. Ever since he has started teaching, the number of people taking potions for NEWTs has dropped considerably. And potions is compulsory if one wants to become an auror or healer. So, Snape has single-handedly destroyed the ambitions of many non-Slytherins who wanted to be either an auror or healer, which has ultimately resulted in a huge reduction in our auror forces and St Mungo's specialists. This is a big advantage for Voldmort, don't you think?

And a teacher is one who is supposed to be impartial and never should he abuse his powers by intimidating or bullying a student. But Snape is totally impartial, has a habit of maintaining long grudges and abuses his teacher's previlages continuously without a break. Therefore, he is not fit to be a teacher" ranted Zarina furiously.

Ron started at her incredulously before clapping profusely.

"Wow, that was awesome. I never ever thought that one day I would appreciate a Slytherin. I hope someone can say all these things to his face some day" said Ron smiling at her.

"I never thought that I would be having such a great time with the chess master Ron Weasley, but I did and I am immensely glad about that" said Zarina beaming at him.

"Anyway, why don't we meet everyday like this here?" asked Ron, with a bit of hope.

"Surely why not. After all, I come here regularly every morning to meditate. You are welcome to join me" said Zarina cheerfully.

Ron smiled at her in response.

"Okay then, got to go now. My friends might start waking up now. See you tomorrow then. Bye" said Ron waving at her.

"Bye Ron. Have a great day. Remember to practice this meditation during your free time" said Zarina waving back at him cheerfully.

**Author's Note: That's all for now folks. Have a great day.**


	3. Don't mess with an angry Weasley

**Author's Note****: This is the third chapter. **

The next two months went by a blur. So many things happened in these 2 months. An article had come out in the Quibbler which validated Harry's story regarding Voldemort's resurrection, Trelawney got sacked and Firenze was appointed, the DA was discovered after Marietta Edgecombe turned traitor, Dumbledore took the blame for DA and escaped Hogwarts, Umbridge was appointed as the new headmistress, Fred and George's pranking the headmistress and eventual escape from Hogwarts, Harry's talk with Sirius over the floo after getting kicked out of Occlumency lessons by Snape.

Throughout this time, Ron and Zarina continued to meet every morning in the Room of Requirement where sometimes they meditated together, or played chess with each other or else, Zarina taught Ron some advanced non-verbal spells or curses. Both of them kept their friendship a secret from the rest of Hogwarts since it would not go well if a Gryffindor and a Slytherin were seen together.

Meanwhile, Ron Weasley continued to show a tremendous improvement in his academics much to the surprise of the Professors and his friends. He was also relatively calm and composed now. The twins and Ginny were surprised and confused as to the sudden shift in Ron's behavior. Harry was simply happy for Ron's improvement and congratulated him over it. Since Harry also didn't want to simply remain behind his 2 friends, he too started dedicating more efforts to his academics and his performance improved.

Hermione was initially very happy over Ron's improvement and was glad that he wasn't simply copying her notes anymore. But that happiness turned into jealousy when Ron began outperforming her in charms and transfiguration practicals. She began accusing Ron of cheating.

"Ron, don't deny it. You have been acting quite odd for the past few months. This is quite unlike you. You must obviously have cheated. Otherwise, how could you have performed better than me?" asked Hermione scowling at him, in the Gryffindor common room which was empty at this time because it was 11 pm at night.

"Is that so Hermione? So, anyone who performs better than you is a cheater? Any subject or field like Quidditch or Divination where you can't learn from a book is a waste of time? If you really believe that, you are so naïve. Grow up Hermione. You have already committed a lot of stupidity trying to cheat house elves into wearing those hats. I have put up with your nagging for quite a long time. But that ends now. You are not my mother and you don't have any right to dictate my life" said Ron sternly.

Hermione huffed angrily and stomped off to the girls dorms.

"Was that really necessary Ron? You didn't have to be so harsh. She must be probably crying now" said Harry, who was feeling sympathy for Hermione.

"It was necessary to tell her Harry. Admit it Harry, you too don't like it when she forces you to study only according to her schedule. Her intention to improve the lives of the house elves is very good but the way she is trying to do it by forcibly freeing the house elves is a stupid move. Not all of us are like Lucius Malfoy who ill-treat their elves" said Ron tiredly.

"I guess so" said Harry non-commitantly.

At the same time, Ginny came down from the Girls dorms glaring at Ron.

"Ron, you stupid prat, what have you done to Hermione? She is crying in her room" said Ginny angrily.

Ron glared back at her while replying.

"I just honestly mentioned to her that I don't like her terrible domineering attitude and her assumption that only she is supposed to be the best performer in the class. I didn't like it when she simply accused me of cheating without proof, all because I did better than her in the charms practicals. And, I am not a stupid prat you silly girl" said Ron coolly.

Harry watched the interaction between Ron and Ginny to and fro without knowing whom to support.

"Whatever be your reason, you shouldn't have made a girl cry. You should apologise to her immediately" shouted Ginny.

"No Ginny Weasley, I will not. It is not my fault that she doesn't have the maturity and humility to understand her fault in this. I will not allow her to manipulate everyone and get everything done her way by shedding tears. And moreover Ginny, don't be gender-biased. We must do our best to not make anyone cry, not just the girls. Do you mean to say that it is perfectly okay to make boys cry? Do you believe that boys are simply mean, stupid people with no feelings?" asked Ron sternly.

"That's it Ron. I will teach you a lesson on how to respect girls" said Ginny as she flourished her wand and cast her bat-bogey hex.

Ron immediately cast a non-verbal protego shield that reflected that hex back to Ginny. The hex struck her on her face and huge, hand sized bats begin flying out of her nose as she screams in pain.

"I respect girls, but I don't respect your disgusting behavior Ginny" snarled Ron.

Harry feeling pity on her casts "Finite incantatem" and her screams stop.

But Ginny was feeling enraged and without caring for anything marches towards Ron. She raises her hand to slap Ron but as soon as her hand reaches close to his cheek, Ron grabs her hand and twists it making her cry out in pain. Then, he grabs hold of her and takes her to the corner ignoring Harry's shouts.

"Listen Ginerva, I won't take any shit from you anymore. You might have gotten away with treating me like dirt during childhood, but that ends right now. I won't allow you to take advantage of being mom's favourite only girl child and harass me as much as you want. And let me tell you one thing. Your attempts to make Harry jealous of you by seducing Michael Corner is so pathetic. You may be my sister, but Harry is more like a sibling to me than you will ever be. I will not allow you to ruin his life" whispered Ron to Ginny in such a way that Harry wouldn't hear.

"Ron leave her alone" said Harry angrily, but Ron just replied "It is a family matter Harry. Rest assured, I won't hurt Ginny badly. You have my word on that. I have some matters to discuss with her" said Ron firmly.

Then, he turned to Ginny who was glaring fiercely at her brother.

"What I do is none of your business Ron. You can just piss off" screamed Ginny.

Ron responded by slapping her hard across the face.

Harry couldn't take it anymore and fired a petrificus totalus at Ron who just non-verbally deflected it back to Harry making Harry go stiff and fall down.

"Sorry Harry, this is for the best" muttered Ron sadly before turning to Ginny who was shocked. Ron grabbed her throat before whispering to her harshly.

"Listen here Ginny Weasley, the reason why I acted that way with Hermione is that she needs to learn she is not the only one who can excel in her academics. And you need to learn to be a more polite, understanding and courteous individual. You need to let go of your bias that as a lady you can harass a man as much as you want and men should simply tolerate all insults. That will not do. Unless you change your disgusting behavior, I will not allow you to become Harry's lover.

And before you say that you don't need my permission, let me remind you that if you try to force yourself into Harry's life in any way, I will personally kill you with my bare hands and gladly go to Azkaban for that holding my head high. Harry has already suffered so much from his muggle relatives. He doesn't need any more suffering due to break ups or being ditched by women.

And Ginny Weasley, if you are serious about your relationship with Michael Corner, then it is well and good. Otherwise, if you are just using him to make Harry jealous, then you should immediately confess and apologize to Corner profusely. How would you feel if somebody was faking love with you to make his actual lover jealous? That would be really unjust to you right?

Ginny, boys are not impersonal toys whom you can play with at your leisure and ditch & throw aside when they don't satisfy you. Imagine what would have happened had our mom ditched our dad, or else dad ditched our mom before either of us could take birth. Then, we wouldn't have had a happy childhood at all. Ginny, Having a real, strong relationship means loving and serving your partner, not using and ditching him at your convenience" explained Ron severely.

Ginny looked at her brother with fearful eyes. She hadn't ever seen him this much aggressive before and it scared her.

"Now, whatever I have just said, is that clear to you?" asked Ron.

Ginny nodded quickly, very eager to get away from this enraged Ron.

"Good. Now please go and comfort Hermione. I am sure that she will appreciate your company" said Ron as Ginny scarpered away.

Then, he went to Harry who was lying petrified on the floor. As soon as Ron lifted the spell, Harry jumped to his feet and glared at Ron.

"What the hell Ron? What is wrong with you? First, you make Hermione cry and now you slap and manhandle your own sister? Don't you feel any shame in hitting a girl?" asked Harry angrily.

"Harry, nothing is wrong with me. I don't have to be ashamed because I just gave them what they deserved. I am fed up of always being at the receiving end of their insults. This time, I decided to teach them a lesson so that they would never dare to mess with me again" said Ron.

"That's it Ron. I just don't care what you have got to say. But unless you apologize to Hermione and Ginny, I won't speak to you anymore" said Harry furiously before storming off to his dorm.

Ron started at Harry's back sadly. Harry's sentiment was quite understandable, as it was just a part of his "Saving People Thing". But Harry didn't understand how Ginny and the twins always mocked him during his childhood and how much resentment that he had built up within him because of that. He really hoped that he would have his best friend back again soon.

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From then on, Harry, Hermione and Ginny stopped speaking to Ron. Ron didn't mind much about Ginny because both of them had never had a good history between them. But Hermione's abandonment hurt him a bit because he considered her as a good friend, inspite of her flaws and nagging. Had it not been for her, he would have found it difficult to complete his difficult homework many times over the past few years. But Harry's abandonment was the one which hurt him the most. Because, simply speaking, Harry was his first and best friend, and the one with whom he had the most fun over the last 5 years.

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A week later, on a Saturday morning, It was one of their regular sessions in the Room of Requirement and Zarina observed that Ron was quite depressed today.

"Ron, what is wrong?" asked Zarina softly.

But Ron didn't respond. Instead, he was staring vacantly into space. After repeated prodding by Zarina, Ron revealed to her everything that had happened. It was heartening to watch Zarina's indignation on his behalf.

"Ron, there is nothing wrong with what you did. You have every right to perform to the best of your ability in academics. No one is entitled to being a first ranker. That is something which you have to earn. Any genuine friend of yours should be happy instead of upset that you are doing well in your studies. Your friend Granger should understand that sometimes, even people who don't perform that well can be motivated and inspired to excel in studies. If they do so, that is not cheating" said Zarina vehemently.

"Perhaps it is possible that because she doesn't know about you helping me, she is feeling suspicious" said Ron uncertainly.

"That is understandable Ron. But still, she is not your mother. You have the right to keep your own secrets as long as it doesn't affect her. Is it so hard for her to believe that you can also perform well in your studies?" asked Zarina in disbelief.

Ron just shrugged in response, but he had to admit that he felt comforted by Zarina'a words. A small smile erupted on his face.

Zarina smiled encouragingly at Ron before continuing "And as far as your sister is concerned, you are just doing your duty as a big brother. You have every right to advise her, though it is not a good thing to force her against her will. But I agree with you completely that you don't need to take any shit from your sister just because she is a girl. I am a girl and I will never behave like that with you" said Zarina looking deeply into his eyes, which showed nothing but complete honesty.

Ron then did something which he never usually did to women. He hugged Zarina fiercely, much to Zarina's pleasant surprise.

"Thank you so much Zarina. You don't know how much your kind words mean to me. I am only sad that I didn't have you as a friend much sooner" said Ron tearfully. Zarina patted him gently.

"Anyway, I am here now Ron. You will always have me as your friend" said Zarina kindly.

"And Ron, don't worry about Potter. He will come around soon. Think about it from his point of view. It must have looked bad from his side when he saw you slapping your sister. But, He should understand that harsh provocation can sometimes make people act like that. And he should have defended you when your sister fired that bat bogey hex at you" remarked Zarina.

"But Harry is usually never upset with me until I do something really wrong. But now he refuses to speak to me until I apologize to Ginny and Hermione. I must have really hurt his feelings. What a pathetic friend I am" said Ron dejectedly, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

Zarina took hold of Ron's hand and and gently cupped his face so that he was facing Zarina.

"Ron, please don't ever say that you are a pathetic friend. I have been interacting with you in the mornings for quite some time and I have to say that Harry is a very lucky person to have you as a friend" said Zarina.

"But how can you say that Zarina? I was jealous of his fame and didn't believe his word last year when his name came out of the Goblet. I have always discouraged him from studying hard. It is partly my fault that Harry hates all the Slytherins. I shouldn't have made him so prejudiced" ranted Ron miserably.

"Ron, you are a human being and every human being is prone to faults. You are not the only one who has been jealous of Harry Potter, but at least you have realized your folly and moved on. Though you made a mistake last year, you did your best to make up for your mistake by being supportive to him afterwards. Ron, blaming yourself for everything will just depress you further. Instead of that, learn from your mistakes and be a better person" said Zarina gently.

Ron sighed and nodded at her.

"Ron, I understand that you miss your friends. Try to find out a way to make them talk to you again. Use and channel your inner Slytherin, then you will find an easier way to do that" said Zarina smiling at him mischieviously.

Ron grinned at her.

"It is such a pity that both of us are in different houses. Else, we could have talked to each other freely" said Ron.

"Yeah Ron, this entire house divide is so stupid. All these houses are simply labels. They don't mean anything. It is the person that ultimately counts. That is the reason why I like you so much even though you are supposed to be a brash headed Gryffindor" said Zarina grinning mischieviosuly.

"And I like you very much even though you are a stinking Slytherin. Had you not met me that day, I would still have been that old, prejudiced bigot who believed the entire Slytherin house to be evil" said Ron honestly with warmth.

Zarina hugged him in response which Ron returned with gusto. Both of them held each other like this for quite some time before they reluctantly let go of each other.

"As much as I would like to speak to you further, I have to go now. Or else, my dorm mates might get suspicious" said Zarina blushing slightly.

"Yeah Zarina, we will see again tomorrow. Have a good day" said Ron with a shit-eating grin on his face.

**Flashback ends**

Ron sighed dreamily as he remembered that day and every morning since then. Ever since they had started his occlumency lessons, Zarina had seen many of his private memories and memories of his adventures at Hogwarts. These memories and the subsequent talks had brought them closer. Now, he felt mightily different from what he felt after the match with hufflepuff two months back. Now, he was more than ready for the match with Ravenclaw tomorrow. Even though, he had practically no friends in Gryffindor now, at least he would have a secret friend who would be supporting and cheering for him amidst the clan of stinking slytherins. Thinking of a bright tomorrow, he soundly slept off.

**Author's note: That's all for now folks. Hope everyone liked this chapter.**


	4. It's time to play the game

**Author's Note: This is the fourth chapter. Hope everyone likes it.**

Ron buckled up himself for the last quidditch match against Ravenclaw as he positioned himself close to the keeper's position. The "Weasley is our King" chant continued amongst the Slytherin students but Ron was able to block that from his mind through occlumency.

Soon, the match started and after a few minutes, Davies came close to him intending to score a goal. Ron carefully observed Davies's movements and deduced that he was feinting. The Ravenclaw chaser seemed to be aiming for his right hoop when he was actually aiming to put the Quaffle through the left hoop. Trusting his deduction, Ron blocked the left hoop which turned out to be the right move.

The Gryffindors cheered immensely and there was a dip in the noise of those who were singing the 'Weasley is our King' song. Zarina discreetly winked at Ron as she looked at him with admiration. The Ravenclaws groaned with disappointment.

The match continued with gusto. The Gryffindor chasers had managed to score 3 more Goals, being emboldened by Ron's initial success.

The Ravenclaw chasers tried to level the score but Ron successfully managed to block 3 consecutive shots by their chasers. When Anthony Goldstein tried again to score again by trying to confuse him, Ron tried a very risky move which he had been practicising before. He slightly loosened his grip on the broom allowing him to slide down a little bit, then positioned the other end of his broom in such away that it stood in the direction of the incoming Quaffle. Then, as soon as the Quaffle was about to strike his broom, he suddenly twisted himself with great momentum in such a way that the Quaffle soared past the air to the Ravenclaw side and somehow went through the left hoop on the Ravenclaw side much to the astonishment of the Ravenclaw keeper who was not expecting this.

"WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT? THE GRYFFINDOR KEEPER RONALD WEASLEY HAS PERFORMED THE FAMOUS 'SLACK KEEPER' MOVE WHICH VERY FEW INTERNATIONAL QUIDDITCH PLAYERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PERFORM" boomed Lee Jordan enthusiastically with his mike.

The Slytherins who were singing 'Weasley is our King' were dumbfounded and couldn't continue any longer, as it would seem like they were supporting Ron. Suddenly, they felt embarrassed wearing those badges. Some of them started removing those badges, but Zarina who was watching everything discreetly first disillusioned herself before casting a sticking charm on everyone's badges so that they couldn't remove it. Further, she cast a spell on the Slytherin banner and transfigured it into a red Gryffindor banner with a lion in it. Then , she cast an imperius on Crabbe and Goyle, making them say "East or West, Weasley is the best" loudly.

It was entertaining to see Malfoy's and Snape's and other Slytherins furious expressions when Crabbe and Goyle started singing those lines. Zarina snickered as Malfoy berated his cronies who were looking even more confused than usual. Meanwhile, the Gryffindors started singing an altered version of the song "Weasley is our King" to support Ron.

Meanwhile, Ron was smiling widely and got an even bigger morale boost when he saw the Slytherin's banner being transfigured and then Crabbe and Goyle's words.

'Must be Zarina's work' mused Ron before joining the game vigourously.

Gryffindors managed to score 10 more goals while the Ravenclaws were finding it difficult to let in a single Quaffle, all thanks to Ron's unexpectedly sudden improvement which they had not anticipated earlier. So, the score stood 130-0 now. After a few moments, Ron saw the Ravenclaw seeker and Harry's ex-flame Cho Chang diving below in pursuit of the snitch. Ginny Weasley was not playing to her best today, apparently due to lashing which Ron had given her some days back, which had really demotivated her. And she hadn't noticed the Snitch.

Ron then decided to throw caution to the winds and chased after Cho, because if Cho caught the Snitch now, Gryffindor would lose the match. He somehow managed to block Cho but since he had abandoned his post, the Ravenclaws took advantage of this opportunity and managed to score a goal.

Now, the score stood at 130-10. The game slowly started to get dirtier as the beaters on both the teams tried their level best to injure the opponent chasers. By then, Ron had managed to block 4 more goals but the Ravenclaw chasers finally managed to let another Quaffle in. Finally,the score stood at 180-20. Now, Ron breathed a sigh of relief. Now, Gryffindor was assured a victory if this margin was maintained.

Suddenly, the snitch was spotted again. And both Cho and Ginny raced after it. Ginny was not playing to the best of her strength today. The appreciation given to her brother was really making her irritated and she was not able to focus well in the game. So, Cho was inching closer to the Snitch.

At the same time, Roger Davies was making a last ditch attempt to score a Quaffle to even out the score. Suddenly, Ron remembered that If the match between the teams turned out to be a tie, then Ravenclaw would win the Quidditch cup since they had a marginally greater point advantage. So, Gryffindor had to win this match by at least 40 points to gain the Quidditch cup, which seemed almost impossible now.

A feeling of panic started overwhelming him. Remembering his occlumency lessons, Ron momentarily closed his eyes and remembered Zarina's beautiful smiling face and her melodious words 'Never Lose Hope Ron' echoed in his head. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and focused intently at the incoming Quaffle with determination. Then, once again he performed the 'Slack keeper' move, but this time aiming the Quaffle not towards the Ravenclaw goal posts but towards Cho who was close to grabbing the snitch. The Quaffle sped in the direction of Cho and as soon as Cho was about to grab the snitch, the Quaffle struck her right hand making her scream in pain.

Ginny who was pursuing Cho luckily saw the snitch at that moment and somehow caught the snitch, ending the game.

A huge cheer erupted from the Gryffindor stands as the final score flashed "330-20". Gryffindor had won the house cup by a huge margin, and it was mainly due to the splendid performance of Ronald Bilius Weasley, whom 2 months back, everyone had regarded as a sore loser.

The whole of the Gryffindor team landed down and lifted Ronald Weasley off his feet while singing loudly "Weasley is our King, He was not born in a bin, He can save anything, That's why the Gryffindors say Weasley is our King". Ron was given a standing ovation and a loud applause much to the annoyance of Ginny Weasley. Malfoy and his cronies had scowls on their faces and Snape looked as if he had swallowed a lemon. Students of other houses also including Luna Lovegood of Ravenclaw rushed forward to congratulate Ron. Soon, Harry came close to Ron and gave Ron a manly hug, it seemed as if their argument a few days back was temporarily forgotten.

"That was splendid mate. You were brilliant" remarked Harry smiling at him.

Hermione did not come to greet Ron. Instead, she was trying her level best to completely ignore him.

But Throughout all this commotion, Ron had his eyes for only that person, who was the reason why he had shown a tremendous improvement during the last two months. His eyes sought out Zarina and eventually found her amidst the crowd of disgruntled Slytherins. Ron noted that now many of them were trying to remove those "Weasley is our King" badges, but the badges seemed to be stuck to their robes. Zarina noticed Ron's gaze and gave him a flirtarious wink which Ron unhesitatingly returned. This action was not unnoticed by Hermione Granger who frowned deeply.

Soon, they came to the podium where Angelina, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain was awarded the Quidditch cup by a thoroughly disgruntled Umbridge. As a tearful Angelina passed this cup to Ron and he saw Zarina looking at him with clear admiration, Ron felt that he could then have produced the most powerful patronus in the world.

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Zarina had discreetly slipped a note inside Ron's pocket asking him to come to Room of Requirement today evening. Ron went to a place where nobody was looking and opened that note. It read:

"_Ron, I knew that you would perform brilliantly and I was confident in your victory. That is why, I am arranging a special dinner for you tonight as a special celebration for winning the Quidditch cup. Let us have a jolly time together tonight at the Room of Requirement – Zarina"_

Ron was giddy with happiness. Tonight, he would spend some nice quality time with Zarina.

At 7 pm, Ron finished all his homework and started going out from the Gryffindor tower.

"Hey Ron, where are you going? Aren't you coming to Dinner with us?" asked Harry who was on speaking terms with Ron once again.

Harry had told Ron how during the match, he and Hermione had accompanied Hagrid to the forbidden forest and met Hagrid's giant half-brother called Grawp, and about Hagrid's ambitious plan to teach him English. Hermione believed that Hagrid had lost his marbles. Ron agreed that Hagrid's intention was not at all practical for young students like them who were not equipped to handle a giant, but Ron could understand Hagrid's emotional reasons for wanting to have a better connect with his brother.

It was a big surprise to Harry and Hermione too, when Ron did not boast about his victory to everyone around after the match got over. They were even more surprised when Ron did not express any disappointment over the fact that Harry and Hermione did not watch majority of the match. This cool, composed Ron was completely unsettling to them.

"No sorry Harry, I have to go somewhere. It is important. And, I am sorry I can't tell you. It is private" said Ron regretfully to Harry. Harry accepted Ron's words without any fuss. Ron saw Hermione looking at him suspiciously but he steadily ignored her.

Ron soon rushed to the Room of Requirement and opened the door.

The sight that greeted him was fabulous. There was a large banquet containing golden ornate plates, crystalline glasses with a variety of mouth watering cuisines. In front of the banquet, Zarina was standing with a large smile on her face. She was wearing a simple brownish gown that suited her perfectly.

"Good evening Ron" Zarina greeted him brightly.

"Good evening Zarina. Bloody hell, I didn't expect this. This is fantastic" said Ron in an amazed voice.

Zarina laughed. Her musical laughter was so enchanting and entrancing that Ron gazed at her.

"I knew you would say that Ron. I have seen you eating fiercely in the Great hall without any table manners. So, I thought why don't we have an eating competition between both of us- a hogathon if you would agree?" asked Zarina smiling mischieviously at him

"You're mental" muttered Ron, but Zarina didn't seem to mind much.

She held out her hand and gently dragged him to the table.

"Come on Ron, let me show you some delicious Indian cuisine, which you might not have tasted before. This is Sabudana Khichdi" said Zarina pointing to a greyish globular looking dish. "This is Paneer Mazedaar" said Zarina pointing to a bulky brown coloured curry. "And this is Coconut Sheera. It is so yummy dessert made of Coconut milk. We can have it after our main course. And, this is Watermelon Juice. I mean, I am really fed up of the pumpkin juice which they regularly serve in the great hall. So, is it not refreshing to try something better?" asked Zarina smiling at him.

Ron nodded dumbly. He was so entranced by Zarina's words to pay any actual attention to what she was saying.

Then, she drew Ron's attention by folding her hands and closing her eyes and whispering something.

"What are you doing Zarina?" asked Ron confused, after she had finished doing this.

Zarina opened her eyes and gently chided him.

"I was praying Ron" said Zarina.

"Praying?" asked Ron blankly.

"Yes Ron, it is a custom in my family to pray to the Almighty God before eating food. It is a gesture of gratitude from our side to thank the almighty for whatever delicious or palatable that we are getting to eat now. It is my sincere faith that whenever I do this, I get some inner fulfillment" explained Zarina.

This concept was completely foreign to Ron, but he was eager to please her after she had done so much for him.

So, he too closed his eyes, and folded his arms and uttered a prayer of Gratitude. When he opened his eyes, Zarina was looking at him with a fond smile. Ron didn't know how he would get inner fulfillment from this, but seeing her smiling fondly at him was quite fulfilling.

Then, they slowly started eating the food-stuffs. Zarina was perfectly correct. This cuisine was so delicious. Ron had never tasted something like this in his entire life.

"Wow this is bloody awesome. How did you manage all this Zarina?"asked Ron amazed.

Zarina smiled warmly at him.

"My house elf Pinky came along with me from India to Hogwarts. She knows how to prepare Indian cuisine and has taught even the houseleves. So, today I went to the kitchens and requested pinky and her house-elf friends to prepare a fabulous dinner for both of us" said Zarina.

"So, you are from India?" inquired Ron.

"Yes Ron, I am from a place called Kashmir in India. It used to be a beautiful heavenly place with gorgeous Himalayas, but recently there has been a lot of violence there between our nation and the neighbouring country. The war between the nations eventually got so bad that our family had to migrate to London, where my aunt and uncle on my Father's side live. We are a primarily neutral family in Britain though we secretly worked against Voldemort during the first wizarding war. Voldemort has tried his level best to recruit us many times, but my father stood firm in our stance of neutrality. Eventually, we had to go under a fidelius charm, else he would have killed our entire family. We have maintained our seclusion from the entire wizarding community in Britain ever since. We maintain contact with our relatives in other parts of India through communication mirrors. We do have a seat in the wizengamot but my father has never sat in it, because he believes that the whole wizarding Govt is corrupt and that the minister of magic is bribed by the Malfoys and the Blacks" explained Zarina.

"Do you have any siblings?" asked Ron.

Zarina smiled at Ron before replying.

"Yes Ron, I have a sister in 3rd year. Her name is Marina and she is from hufflepuff. Now, tell me a bit about yourself" said Zarina excitedly.

Ron smiled back and started telling tidbits about his childhood at the burrow, about how he grew up and everything else.

Suddenly, a splash of juice fell on Zarina's clothes.

"Oh..I am so sorry. I will change and come in a few minutes" said Zarina before going to the Room's corner where a bathroom materialized for her along with an attached door.

As soon as she went away, Ron noticed a slip of paper which had fallen from her robes.

Ron picked up the paper and read:

"_Ron, I am so sorry that you lost your match today. But your performance was fabulous today, and you were very close to victory. I wish that both of us have a special dinner at Room of Requirement today evening. No matter whether you lose or win a match, you will always be a special friend of mine and nothing can change that- Zarina"_

On reading this, Ron got emotional and tears fell his eyes. So, Zarina had planned this dinner for him to make him feel special, no matter the outcome of the match. Nobody had ever cared for him like that, not even Harry. Hermione always nagged and made him feel stupid. Ginny and the twins always openly proclaimed that he was a stupid brother. In a way, Ron could understand why Percy abruptly left the burrow without hesitation. The twins used to bully him quite badly and Ginny was totally apathetic to him. In a way, Ron was also slightly responsible for that.

But coming back to the present, Ron felt a deep sense of belongingness to Zarina, the woman who had selflessly done her level best to cheer him up. He closed his eyes, folded his palms and uttered a prayer to the Almighty for bringing such a beautiful and compassionate woman into his life.

Soon, Zarina came back and both of them had a jolly good time for quite some time, after which they departed to their respective dorms.

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The next morning when Ron came to the Room of Requirement, his arm was bleeding very badly. After his dinner with Zarina was over yesterday, when he was walking back towards his Gryffindor dorms, he didn't realize that he had crossed the curfew time by 10 minutes. So, Filch had caught him and taken him to Umbridge where the toad had made him write lines using that infernal blood quill "I will not violate the curfew anymore", for two hours. When Ron had complained about the pain, the toad merely laughed and said sadistically "Pain is the best form of punishment Mr Weasley. I hope you get used to it"

The essence of murtlap had got over already and he suffered the pain throughout the night. Harry and even Hermione, who looked a bit less upset with Ron, had cursed Umbridge's name badly when Ron told them about the detention that she had given him. It was then that he understood how much Harry had really suffered under Umbridge for 4 hours per day for 5 consecutive days.

"Good morning Ron" said Zarina smiling before she noticed Ron was giving her a strained smile, as if trying to hide his pain.

"What is the matter Ron?" asked Zarina worriedly. It was then that she noticed that his arm was bleeding very badly.

She instantly rushed to him and cradled his arm, where she saw the lines etched there "I will not violate the curfew anymore".

"What is this Ron? Who did this to you?" asked Zarina almost hysterically.

"Umbridge" said Ron quietly.

Zarina's blood boiled. She hated that toad like woman more than anything. That woman was the worst sadistic bully who had ever come to Hogwarts. And Zarina hated bullies more than anything.

On many occasions, she had helped out the victims by punishing the perpetrators, but secretly. Once she had seen Pansy Parkinson and her gang who were hexing Colin Creevy for fun. She had disillusioned herself and cast "Lacero", a milder version of the cruciatus curse on all of them. The four bullies had screamed in pain and run away. Investigation was conducted by Severus Snape as to who had attacked them but nothing had been discovered. Nobody could pinpoint that incident on her, since no one would usually suspect a Slytherin of attacking other slytherins. Operating beneath the shadows in the dark was her style and that was what prompted the sorting hat to put her in Slytherin.

She let out a scream of rage that startled Ron.

"THAT FILTHY, SADISTIC, GOOD FOR NOTHING BITCH"

"Zarina please calm down. It's okay" said Ron placatingly.

Zarina rounded on Ron.

"It is not okay Ron. Blood quills are supposed to be used only for signing contracts or some important official ministry documents. Else, it is illegal and is considered as a dark artifact. Using it for any other purpose can land you in Azkaban for 20 years. Yes, this is our opportunity to have her arrested" said Zarina her eyes gleaming.

"That won't be of any use Zarina. She is too high up in the ministry and can easily get away with it through bribes. I say we should poison her. That will get rid of her forever. I had suggested that to Hermione and Harry, but they had shot down my suggestion" commented Ron nonchalantly.

Zarina looked at Ron in a new light.

"Wow Ron, I didn't think you had it in you. As much as I would love to do that, there is no guarantee that the next person assigned by the minister will be better. Moreover, the minister is likely to blame your friend Harry for doing this in the current political climate" said Zarina wisely.

"Yeah that's true" said Ron dejectedly. He didn't want Harry to be accused of Umbridge's murder.

Zarina thought for a moment when an idea clicked her mind. She whispered it in Ron's ear.

"Bloody Hell, this is awesome" said Ron grinning.

"Let's begin our plan" said Zarina grinning back.

**Author's Note: That's all for now folks. Have a nice day.**


	5. RIP Umbridge

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and I don't intend to earn any profit out of it.**

Dolores Umbridge was sitting in her office brimming with delight. She was thinking about how she owned Hogwarts now. It gave her immense pleasure to see younger students cowering before her. She had managed to crush almost all the opposition against her. She was unstoppable now. She fingered the blood quill in her hand and she smiled as she remembered how she had punished that lying, disrespectful Potter brat. As she was caught up in nostalgia, she didn't see the jet of red light coming for her. Instantly, she slumped down unconscious.

When she woke up, she was in a dark room and she was bound to a chair with her hands and legs tied with tight ropes.

She struggled against the ropes, but to no avail. They were too tight. She tried her level best to see what was in front of her, but couldn't see anything but darkness. But after 2 minutes, she saw blue light ahead and the dark outline of 2 people against the backdrop, though their faces were not visible.

"Well, Well, Well Umbitch, how nice of you to join us" said a mocking male voice on the left.

Umbridge's cheeks turned red with rage.

"You bastards, how dare you kidnap me? Do you know who I am?" she screeched.

"Obviously a ugly toad. If I had a face like yours, I would sue my parents" mocked the young woman on the right.

Umbridge screamed and struggled with all her might but the ropes binding her were too tight.

"I am Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, you idiots. I don't know who you are, but I will have both of you arrested and put into Azkaban" screamed Umbridge.

"You are not in a position to make threats Umbitch" growled the man.

Umbridge gave a string of profanities and threats while trying to get free from her bindings. The woman gave a sigh and raised her wand. Instantly, Umbridge felt her lips move but no sound came out.

"That's better. Now, its funny that you talk about putting us into Azkaban while you have been using a blood quill on students, huh? As a ministry official, you should know that blood quills are classified as dark artifacts by the ministry. And that, it can be used only for important contract signings or for Gringotts business. Have you forgotten that usage of blood quills for any other purpose could land you in Azkaban for 20 years?" asked the woman furiously, as she lifted the silencing spell on Umbridge.

In response, Umbridge gave a shrill laugh that sent shivers to bodies of the 2 people standing there.

"What the minister doesn't know won't hurt him. I can do whatever I want as long as I have the support of Cornelius. And you idiots, no one will be able to prove in court that I used the blood quill on the students. The members of the Wizengamot have enough sense not to vote against me, or else I would make their lives miserable" said Umbridge gleefully.

The man growled angrily and slapped Umbridge's face hard making two of her teeth fall out.

"What other crimes have you committed, you sick woman?" growled the man.

"Haha, as if I would tell you" sneered Umbridge, blood oozing from her mouth.

"Then, you leave us with no choice" said the woman sighing.

Then, she called out "Pinky". Suddenly a house-elf popped in front of her.

"Mistress Zarina called Pinky?"said Pinky

"Pinky, Can you please get some Veritaserum from Snape's office? Just check if Snape is there or not? If he is not there, then get it here immediately. Or else, come back" instructed Zarina.

"Yes Mistress Zarina" said Pinky before popping away.

"Zarina? Zarina Shafiq? You are a sixth year Slytherin right? The one who is always aloof from everyone? The one who refused to join my Inquisitorial squad?" asked Umbridge in shock.

"I am the very same person" said Zarina frowning at Umbridge.

"Then, what the hell are you doing with me? I was a Slytherin too and I am trying to make the school better by weeding out all the filthy scum, undesirables and half-breeds. You are a pureblood, a member of the sacred 28. You should support me. That's what your parents would prefer. We are Slytherins and we always stick together" said Umbridge

"You are the most undesirable scum at Hogwarts right now" said the man's voice and the lights turned on revealing Ronald Weasley.

Umbridge's eyes almost popped out of her sockets as she stared at Ronald Weasley, as if she couldn't dare to believe it.

Finally she stuttered out "You, Zarina Shafiq, a pureblood Slytherin of the sacred 28, are siding with a filthy Gryffindor blood traitor like Weasley?" Umbridge asked in disbelief.

In response, Zarina marched forward and slapped Umbridge hard on her cheek.

"Shut your mouth, you filthy toad. I don't give a damn about anyone's blood. But all that I can say is that, Ron's heart is much more pure and cleaner as compared to yours. You should have known better than to make my best friend write lines using that infernal blood quill. Now you will pay for it" said Zarina glaring down at Umbridge, who gulped with fear.

At that moment, Pinky returned with Veritaserum and Zarina opened the bottle.

"Open your mouth Umbridge" commanded Zarina.

Umbridge braced herself, closed her mouth and defiantly shook her hand.

Ron came forward and stomped hard on Umbridge's right foot with all his might.

Umbridge screamed like anything and Zarina took that opportunity to put three drops of Veritaserum into Umbridge's mouth. As soon as the drops went inside, Umbridge's eyes became vacant and she became still.

"Pinky, good job. Now put this bottle back to where you took it from before Snape comes back" commanded Zarina.

The elf preened under the praise and popped away with the bottle.

Zarina then turned to Umbridge and asked the opening question to check whether the veritaserum was working or not.

"What is your name?"

"Dolores Jane Umbridge" answered Umbridge monotonously.

Ron then took over the questioning.

"What all crimes have you committed? List them one by one"

"I used the blood quill on the students. I sent the dementors after Harry Potter last summer to silence him permanently. I bribed the members of the Wizengamot to support my werewolf legislation…." And in this way, Umbridge listed out the crimes that she had committed while working at the ministry of magic. The list was huge.

Ron's blood had boiled when Umbridge had mentioned that it was she who had sent the dementors after his friend last summer. After Umbridge had finished with her list of crimes, Ron punched her on her face.

"This is for my friend Harry, you sick woman. I wish he was here to see you suffer" said Ron, his eyes glowing dangerously.

Zarina then asked her another question "Are you a death eater?"

"No" replied Umbridge.

"But, do you support Voldemort?"asked Zarina.

"Yes" replied Umbridge.

"Why do you support Voldemort?" asked Zarina.

"Because, he has the right idea of trying to make the world a better place by purging out mudbloods and blood traitors. I just don't agree with his openly violent methods and the way he allies with half-breeds like werewolves and giants for his purpose" answered Umbridge.

"Do you actually believe that Voldemort is back?" asked Ron.

"Yes, I do" answered Umbridge.

"If Voldemort gets hold of the ministry of magic, will you support him?" asked Ron.

"Yes, I will"

"But aren't you loyal to your minister of magic?" asked Zarina.

"No, I don't really care about him. I am only loyal to myself and ally myself with whoever is the most powerful" said Umbridge.

Now, the Veritaserum was slowly wearing off and Umbridge was regaining the colour on her face.

Ron looked at Zarina and asked her "What do you say we do to her?"

Zarina looked at Ron intently before replying "Scum like her deserve only one punishment, and you must know what is" conveying the message to Ron through her eyes.

Umbridge was now sweating with fear and her pants were wetted with hot urine.

"Please Shafiq, Weasley I will give both of you anything. Just leave me alone" begged a sobbing Umbridge.

"Certainly we will leave you alone. Both of us have come to take away only one thing from you" said Zarina.

"What is it?" asked Umbridge curiously.

"Your life" said Ron. Then, he and Zarina raised their wands at Umbridge and shouted "Avadakedavra"

Twin jets of green light struck Umbridge on her chest and she departed for her next great adventure.

"What do we do with her body?" asked Ron a bit fearfully.

"We'll see Ron" said Zarina thoughtfully.

Ron was feeling quite uncomfortable. The full extent of what he had done crashed down on him just then. It was the first time that he had taken someone's life. Though it was Umbridge, still he had taken somebody's life. That fact itself made him want to vomit.

Zarina saw the expression on Ron's face and gently patted him on his back.

"Zarina, I can't believe I killed someone. Does that make me a bad person?" asked Ron, who was feeling quite guilty.

"Ron, you are not a bad person. You did not kill an innocent woman, you killed someone who tried to assassinate your friend using dementors, who destroyed the lives of many werewolves in our country and who is a supporter of Voldemort. We don't need to waste our tears on a piece of scum like this. The world will be much happier without her" stated Zarina calmly.

"How can you be so calm and blase about this Zarina?" asked Ron.

"I have to be like that Ron, because if I were sensitive and emotional, I wouldn't have survived for the last 6 years in Slytherin. Being part of the Slytherin house, I have seen much worse horrors" explained Zarina gently to Ron.

"And Ron, some people might say that if we kill someone bad like the deatheaters, that makes us also equally bad. Well I say that if you have to become bad or dark to destroy the deatheaters and make the society a better place to live, you should become bad. Evil wins when good men walk away.

The only reason why scum like Umbridge are emboldened to do wrong things is that we don't strike back strongly. Sometimes, we have to use extreme violence and kill such people to establish peace in the society. By the way, your house's founder Godric Gryffindor always carried a sword with him, and I am sure that it was not for just decoration or cutting vegetables. So, what I am speaking to you is not just a Slytherin concept.

I have lived with my housemates for 6 years and I know the mentality of these deatheater wannabes very well. That is why, I say that unless we start killing deatheaters and the death eater sympathizers like Umbridge, the menace of Voldemort and the deatheaters will not get over" said Zarina looking intently at Ron's eyes.

Finally, Ron gave a reluctant nod.

"Now, I have a Slytherin -like plan to dispose off Umbridge's body in such a way that it would be really advantageous for everyone" said Zarina and whispered it to Ron who grinned in excitement.

"That would be bloody brilliant. And Skeeter is the perfect person to do this" said Ron giving her a thumbs up.

"I know. Let's do it. I will ask Pinky to deliver her body at the perfect place" said Zarina beaming brightly at Ron.

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The next day morning, near the entrance of the ministry of magic, Mafalda Hopkirk had just arrived by apparition. Greeting her was the dead body of the undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, with a note just beside it. She screamed in fright.

Her screams attracted the attention of the other ministry workers who had just apparated there.

"My God, it is the undersecretary!"

"She's dead"

"Call the aurors"

Finally, after a period of 20 minutes, with a lot of hustle and bustle, a stunned minister of magic arrived at the scene accompanied by his auror guard.

"Dear Merlin!" the minister exclaimed on seeing Umbridge's dead body.

"Sir, there is a note just beside her" said Auror Williamson.

Fudge picked up the note and paled on reading it.

"_To our dear minister,_

_First of all, I wish to thank you immensely for discrediting Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter. I am so grateful to you for denying my return to the wizarding world. You see minister, Harry Potter is not delusional. He was actually right about Cedric Diggory's death. Cedric Diggory did not die due to a tragic accident. I killed him using the killing curse, just as I have killed countless other people. _

_Your unwillingness to accept the fact that I was alive helped me a lot. It helped me amass giants, werewolves and even dementors to my side. It helped me break out my most loyal followers from Azkaban. It has given me ample amount of time to prepare myself to conquer the wizarding Britain. For that, I would be ever grateful to you. You have done more for me than any other faithful servant in my service._

_That is why I am making a proposition for you. Join me in my quest for pureblood dominance. I am bestowing upon you the honour of being my right hand man to purge this whole world of mudbloods and blood traitors. _

_Please don't make the same mistake as your Undersecretary did. I made the same proposition to her, but she refused to accept it. Lord Voldemort does not allow anyone to reject his proposal. So, I gave her a merciful death using the killing curse. I hope that you don't make the same mistake as your undersecretary did. Because if you do so, it won't end well for you._

_Yours truly_

_Lord Voldemort_

_PS: By the way, Thanks a lot for giving the "kiss at sight" order on Sirius Black. It gives me immense pleasure to see Potter's innocent Godfather hiding like a coward from the dementors._

_PPS: I will be making a return to the Wizarding World soon. Once again, the whole world will cower at my feet. I hope you make the right decision of joining me._

Fudge nearly had a heart attack after reading this letter. He could barely stand on his feet as he was on the verge of fainting. He never noticed a beetle sitting on his shoulder. Nor did he notice the unusual expression of interest that the beetle displayed while looking at the letter.

Fudge could barely believe his eyes as he went through the contents of this letter. If this was indeed He Who Must Not Be Named, then it was the end of his career. He should somehow hide the contents of this letter from anyone else. But he didn't know that it was already too late for that, as a beetle flew away from his shoulder.


End file.
